Railway
The Act which allowed the East India Company to retain Indian territories and revenues 'in trust for the Crown' without fixing any period, was the:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option C — Charter Act of 1853
Detailed Solution
The Charter Act of 1853 renewed the powers of the East India Company and allowed it to retain the Indian territories and revenues in trust for the British Crown. Unlike earlier Charter Acts, it did not fix any period for this arrangement, which meant that Parliament could end the Company's rule at any time.
Main provisions of the Charter Act of 1853:
It separated, for the first time, the legislative and executive functions of the Governor-General's Council.
It added six new members, called legislative councillors, to the Council for legislative purposes. This expanded body worked like a mini-Parliament and was called the Indian (Central) Legislative Council.
It introduced, for the first time, local representation in the Indian (Central) Legislative Council: four of the six new members were appointed by the provincial governments of Madras, Bombay, Bengal and Agra.
It introduced an open competition system for selecting and recruiting civil servants, opening the Covenanted Civil Service to Indians.
It reduced the number of members of the Court of Directors from 24 to 18, and six of them were to be nominated by the Crown.
Importance:
- It was the last of the Charter Acts.
- It prepared the ground for the end of Company rule, which came after the Revolt of 1857.
Earlier Charter Acts:
- Charter Act of 1793: renewed the Company's charter for 20 years.
- Charter Act of 1813: ended the Company's monopoly of trade with India (except tea and trade with China) and allowed Christian missionaries to come to India.
- Charter Act of 1833: made the Governor-General of Bengal the Governor-General of India and ended the Company's commercial activities.
Government of India Act, 1858:
- It transferred the government of India from the Company to the British Crown.
- The office of Secretary of State for India was created.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Charter Acts of 1813 and 1833 fixed periods for the charter.
- ✗The Government of India Act of 1858 ended Company rule.
Quick tip
Remember: Charter Act 1853 = last Charter Act; no fixed period; separated legislative and executive functions; open competition for civil services.
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Governors-General & Viceroys — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Governors-General & Viceroys, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the Governors of Bengal, the Governors-General and the Viceroys of India from Warren Hastings to Lord Mountbatten, and the major reforms, policies, acts and events of each tenure. Questions almost always link a Governor-General or Viceroy to an event or reform: the Permanent Settlement under Cornwallis, the abolition of sati under William Bentinck, the doctrine of lapse under Dalhousie, the partition of Bengal under Curzon, and the Vernacular Press Act under Lytton. Revise the list in chronological order, with one or two key events for each. Practise the Governors-General and Viceroys questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.